Mailing carton

ABSTRACT

A mailing carton including a hinge type carton constructed such that the side walls of the tray are inwardly converging so that the lid will nest over and outside of the tray and the connecting webs between the side walls of the tray and lid and hinge wall including three triangular segments adjacent the side wall of the tray portion being of greater area than the triangular segment adjacent the side wall of the lid portion and the fold line between the triangular segment and the side wall of the tray portion being at an angle inwardly of the tray portion such that when the lid portion is being closed onto the tray portion the triangular segment adjacent the side wall of the lid portion will arrive outside the triangular segment of the side wall adjacent the tray portion forcing the side wall of the lid portion to nest outwardly of the side wall of the tray portion. The ends of the tray and lid portion having beer style constructions with end flaps extending from the side walls of the tray portion at outwardly flared angles thereto, such that when they fit within the foldled over end walls it causes the side walls of the tray to converge inwardly. An insert is also provided for the formed carton, having a panel identical to the hinge panel and is adapted to sandwich a further tab cut out of the insert in a three ply reinforcing construction with the hinge wall of the carton. A mailing sleeve is also provided which has a flap extending from one end of one face of the sleeve and adapted to engage between the end wall of the lid portion and the end wall of the tray portion to lock the hinge carton and the mailing sleeve together.

United States atent 1 Mayled July 29, 1975 1 MAILING CARTON Edward C. Mayled, 5245 Provence St., Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada [76] Inventor:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 8, 1972 Canada 136732 [52] US. Cl. 229/33 [51] Int. Cl B65d 3/22 [58] Field of Search 229/33, 14 R, 14 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,121,737 12/1914 Leifch 229/49 1,793,102 2/1931 Labombarde 229/33 2,168,387 8/1939 Bellin 229/33 2,565,288 8/1951 Worfford 229/33 2,914,234 11/1959 Hazelwood 229/33 X 3,135,452 6/1964 Brundage 229/14 C Primary ExaminerEdward J. McCarthy Attorney, Agent, or FirmAlan Swabey; Robert E. Mitchell [5 7] ABSTRACT A mailing carton including a hinge type carton con structed such that the side walls of the tray are inwardly converging so that the lid will nest over and outside of the tray and the connecting webs between the side walls of the tray and lid and hinge wall including three triangular segments adjacent the side wall of the tray portion being of greater area than the triangular segment adjacent the side wall of the lid portion and the fold line between the triangular segment and the side wall of the tray portion being at an angle inwardly of the tray portion such that when the lid portion is being closed onto the tray portion the triangular segment adjacent the side wall of the lid portion will arrive outside the triangular segment of the side wall adjacent the tray portion forcing the side wall of the lid portion to nest outwardly of the side wall of the tray portion. The ends of the tray and lid portion having beer style constructions with end flaps extending from the side walls of the tray portion at outwardly flared angles thereto, such that when they fit within the foldled over end walls it causes the side walls of the tray to converge inwardly, An insert is also provided for the formed carton, having a panel identical to the hinge panel and is adapted to sandwich a further tab cut out of the insert in a three ply reinforcing construction with the hinge wall of the carton.

A mailing sleeve is also provided which has a flap extending from one end of one face of the sleeve and adapted to engage between the end wall of the lid portion and the end wall of the tray portion to lock the hinge carton and the mailing sleeve together.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures MAILING CARTON BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to cartons and particularly to a hinged carton formed from a single blank and having a lid and a tray.

2. Description of Prior Art In the manufacture of hinged trays, it has been necessary in the past to produce the blanks by scoring the lid portion slightly differently than the tray portion so that the lid would nest properly over the tray. This has been accomplished in many cases by making the longitudinal fold lines of the lid parallel to the fold lines of the tray, but spaced further apart than those of the tray. This adds to the complexity of the equipment necessary for making the blank since the fold lines in the longitudinal sense do not coincide.

Furthermore, the hinge wall of the carton is usually single ply and is therefore not strong enough to withstand normal handling of the finished carton.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to produce a hinged type carton blank from a one piece blank wherein the lid nests over the tray without having to spread out the fold lines of the lid portion relative to the tray portion.

It is also an aim of the present invention to provide an improved hinged type carton wherein a reinforcement is provided for the hinge wall.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a sleeve with a flap adapted to lock with the hinged type carton so that a suitable mailing package is formed.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes a one piece blank having a first rectangular panel and a second identical panel defined by a pair of common parallel longitudinal fold lines and connected by an intermediate panel defined by said longitudinal fold lines and by a pair of transverse parallel fold lines common with the first and second panels. Side walls adjoin each first and second panels along the longitudinal fold lines, and the transverse fold line borders the intermediate panel and the second panel projecting beyond the longitudinal fold lines and define the ends of the side walls adjoining the second panel. Means are provided adjoining the intermediate panel and the ends of the side walls adjoining the first panel, and fold lines are provided between the said means and the ends of said side walls, wherein said latter fold lines are at an obtuse angle to the transverse fold line of the first panel inwardly of said first panel. The latter side walls have flaps extending beyond the other margin of the first panel at an outwardly flared angle such that when the carton is made up with the side wall flaps adjacent of the outside margin, the side walls converge inwardly providing suitable nesting for the side walls of the second panel.

A further feature of the present invention includes a separate insert having a first rectangular panel and a second rectangular panel and an intermediate panel therebetween defined by a spaced-apart parallel fold line. The intermediate panel matches the intermediate panel of the blank and a cut-away tab is defined in one of the panels adjacent a fold line and having a width similar to the width of the intermediate panel, such that when the insert is placed in the made-up carton, the tab is folded down against the intermediate portion so as to lie against the intermediate portion of the made-up carton, thereby reinforcing the hinged portion of the carton formed by the intermediate portion.

A still further embodiment of the present invention includes an open ended sleeve into which the made-up carton is adapted to be fitted and the sleeve has a locking flap adapted to engage between the other flaps of the made-up carton when the carton is closed and in the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, particular reference will be made to the accompanying drawings by way of illustration showing a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical blank of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the made-up carton partially opened;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blank insert;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section taken along lines IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the carton as it is partially seated within the locking sleeve; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail of the carton.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a blank having main rectangular panels 10 and 12 defined by longitudinal fold lines 16 and 18. Between the panels 10 and 12 is an intermediate panel 14 defined by the transverse fold lines 20 and 22 which are common with the panels 10 and 12, respectively. Transverse fold lines 24 and 26 define the outer ends of the rectangular panels 10 and 12. Side walls 28 and 28a are provided on either side of panel 10 and are divided by the folding lines 16 and 18, respectively. Reinforcing flaps 36 and 36a are connected to the side walls 28 and 28a along fold lines 32 and 32a. Side walls 28 and 28a are further defined by lateral fold lines 30 and 30a, which are at an obtuse angle to the axis of the fold line 20 taken from the side of the panel 10.

The other ends of the side walls 28 and 28a are defined by the transverse fold lines 34 and 34a. The reinforcing fiap 36 and 36a is itself defined by edge margins 40, 42 and 38, while flap 36a is defined by edge margins 38a, 40a and 42a. The margins 38 and 38a, which are adjacent the fold lines 30 and 30a are at an opposite angle relative to the angle of the fold lines 30 and 30a.

There are similar side walls on each side of the panel 12. For instance, side walls 44 and 44a run along fold lines 16 and 18 and reinforcing flaps 50 and 5011 are adjacent the fold lines 48 and 48a, which forms the edge of the side walls 44 and 44a. Transverse fold lines 52 and 52a are straight line extensions of the transverse fold line 22 and are opposite the fold lines 30 and 30a. At the opposite end of the side walls 44 and 44a, there is provided fold lines 46 and 46a, which are straight line extensions of the fold line 26.

On the other hand, the reinforcing flaps 50 and 50a are bordered by edges 54, 56 and 58, while the reinforcing flap 50a is bordered by identical edges 54a, 56a and 58a.

The remaining disclosure will refer only to the lefthand side of the blank with the identical numerals referring to corresponding parts on the right-hand side of the blank, which have been raised by the letter a.

Gusseted triangular panels are provided between the side walls 44 and 28. Triangular segment 64 borders along the fold line 16, while triangular segment 60 borders along the fold line 30 and the panel 64. Triangular segment 62 is adjacent the fold line 52 and the panel 64.

At the opposite end of the panel 28 is a flap 80 which extends at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the blank. This flap 80 is adjacent fold line 34.

An end wall 66 is provided along the fold line 24 and is separated from a reinforcing flap 70 by fold line 68 and an additional short flap 74 separated from the flap 70 by means of fold line 72. The side wall edges of the end flaps 66 and 70 are slightly angled at 76 and 78 such that the side edges of the end walls 66 converge inwardly slightly and the reinforcing flap 70 is a mirror image of the end wall 66.

There are flaps provided on the fold line 26 of panel 12 which are of the beer-style locking variety. An end wall flap 84 is separated from a reinforcing mirror image flap 88 by fold line 86. A short flap 90 is provided on the end of flap 88 while locking tabs 96 and 96a extend on either side of the reinforcing flap 88. Folding connecting panels 92 and 94 and 92a and 94a are provided on either side edge of the flap 84 and are connected to the side walls 44 and 44a by means of fold lines 46 and 46a. Finally, the reinforcing flaps 50 and 50a are bevelled at the margins 54 and 54a to receive the locking tabs 96 and 96a when the carton is made Referring now to FIG. 3, the insert is shown as having panels 102 and 104. Panel 104 is substantially identical to panels and 12. These panels 102 and 104 are separated by an intermediate panel 106 which is identical to the intermediate panel 14 in the blank. Fold lines 108 and 110 separate the intermediate panel from panels 102 and 104. Finally, the tab 112 is cut out by means of score lines 114 in the panel 104 and has a width equal to the width of the intermediate panel 106 and borders along the intermediate panel along fold line 110.

Before assembly, the reinforcing flaps 50, 50a, 36 and 36a are provided with glue and are adhered to the side walls 28, 28a, 44 and 44a.

In assembling the carton, flaps 80 and 82 are turned inwardly after the side walls 28 and 28a have been set upright relative to the bottom panel 10 and reinforcing flap 70 is folded over the flaps 80 and 82 to sandwich these flaps between the side wall panels 66 and reinforcing panel 70. Short flap 74 abuts against the panel 10 in the set-up position and could be provided with a slight amount of glue to better engage the panel 10. In view of the angularity of the panels 80 and 82 as well as the angle edges 76 and 78 when the carton is set up, side walls towards the end thereof have a slight con-v verging angle.

Side walls 44 and 44a are set upright and then end wall 84 is set upright with the reinforcing flap 88 folded downwardly sandwiching the connecting panels 92, 94, 92a and 94a and the short flap engages panel 12 while the locking tabs 96 and 96a engage the edges 54 and 54a to lock the end. The panel 10 represents the tray portion of the hinged carton and while the panel 12 represents the lid. As the lid is being closed, segment 64 is pushed inwardly, by means of the segment 60, which is controlled by the side wall 28. Because of the angle of the fold line 30, the triangular segment 60 is larger than the segment 62 and therefore as the lid is being folded down the edge of the panel 62 and the edge of the wall 44 will clear the web formed by the triangle 60 and nest outside of the side wall 28.

The optional-insert shown in FIG. 3 is placed within the carton w l' en it is in an open position with the intermediate wall 106 coinciding with the hinge wall 14 of the carton and the panels 102 and 104 coinciding with the panels 10 and 12, respectively. Advertising material can be provided on the insert and at the same time the insert acts as a reinforcement for the hinge wall 14. A further optional reinforcement is provided with tab 112, which is cut out in the panel 104 and can be turned down behind the wall 106 and between the wall 14, giving effectively three ply constructions in the center area of the hinge wall.

When the above carton is used for mailing purposes, a sleeve 116 is provided which has an open end and the flap 118, which is adapted to fit between the end walls 84 and 66 of the lid and tray portions, respectively, of the carton, thereby locks the carton within the sleeve 116. A small tab is cut out of flap 118 for easy retrieval of the tab 118, when it is required to remove the hinge carton from the sleeve.

I claim:

1. A one piece blank for a hinge carton comprising a first rectangular panel and a second rectangular panel defined by a pair of common, parallel, longitudinal fold lines and connected by an intermediate panel defined by said longitudinal fold lines and by a pair of transverse fold lines, with said first and second panels, respectively; side panels adjoining each of the firstand second panels along said longitudinal fold lines, the transverse fold line bordering the intermediate panel and the second panel projecting beyond the longitudinal fold line along the fold axis thereof and defining the end of the side panel adjoining the second panel; a gusset forming panel adjoining the intermediate panel and the ends of the side panels adjoining the first and second panels, a fold line defined between said gusset panel and the end of the side panel adjoining the first panel, said latter fold line being at an acute angle to the projection of the transverse fold line between the first panel and the intermediate panel, such that when the carton is made up with the side panels upright, the soformed gusset panel forces the side panels adjoining the first panel to converge inwardly providing suitable nesting for the side walls of the second panel.

2. A one piece blank as defined in claim 1 wherein the gusset forming panel is also connected between the intermediate panel and the side panel bordering the second panel, said gusset panel includes a regular triangular segment, having the base thereof coincidental with the portion of the longitudinal fold line defining the intermediate panel, and second and third triangular portions have their base coinciding with the fold lines defining the ends of the respective side walls for the first and second panels, said second triangular portion being of greater area and dissimilar to the third triangular portion, such that when the finished carton is being closed and the first triangular portion is forced inwardly towards the intermediate panel, the ends of the third triangular portion will not readily abut the edge carton blank and a tab portion adjacent the intermediate panel of the insert in the insert member to be folded down against said intermediate wall of the insert, such that when the carton and the insert are made up the intermediate portion of the insert and the tab portion thereof along with the intermediate portion of the carton form an effective three ply reinforced hinge wall. 

1. A one piece blank for a hinge carton comprising a first rectangular panel and a second rectangular panel defined by a pair of common, parallel, longitudinal fold lines and connected by an intermediate panel defined by said longitudinal fold lines and by a pair of transverse fold lines, with said first and second panels, respectively; side panels adjoining each of the first and second panels along said longitudinal fold lines, the transverse fold line bordering the intermediate panel and the second panel projecting beyond the longitudinal fold line along the fold axis thereof and defining the end of the side panel adjoining the second panel; a gusset forming panel adjoining the intermediate panel and the ends of the side panels adjoining the first and second panels, a fold line defined between said gusset panel and the end of the side panel adjoining the first panel, said latter fold line being at an acute angle to the projection of the transverse fold line between the first panel and the intermediate panel, such that when the carton is made up with the side panels upright, the so-formed gusset panel forces the side panels adjoining the first panel to converge inwardly providing suitable nesting for the side walls of the second panel.
 2. A one piece blank as defined in claim 1 wherein the gusset forming panel is also connected between the intermediate panel and the side panel bordering the second panel, said gusset panel includes a regular triangular segment, having the base thereof coincidental with the portion of the longitudinal fold line defining the intermediate panel, and second and third triangular portions have their base coinciding with the fold lines defining the ends of the respective side walls for the first and second panels, said second triangular portion being of greater area and dissimilar to the third triangular portion, such that when the finished carton is being closed and the first triangular portion is forced inwardly towards the intermediate panel, the ends of the third triangular portion will not readily abut the edge of the second triangular portion and the side panel bordering the second panel will be forced outwardly of the side panel adjoining the first panel.
 3. A blank for a carton as defined in claim 1 wherein an insert is provided having a first and second rectangular panel separated by an intermediate panel, the intermediate panel of the insert coinciding with the intermediate panel between the first and second panel of the carton blank and a tab portion adjacent the intermediate panel of the insert in the insert member to be folded down against said intermediate wall of the insert, such that when the carton and the insert are made up the intermediate portion of the insert and the tab portion thereof along with the intermediate portion of the carton form an effective three ply reinforced hinge wall. 